Image courtesy of de_coder

I have to admit, managing a digital music collection well is pretty time consuming. You have so much variety! There are the albums that you ripped from CDs at home, the albums you borrowed from your friends that might be in some weird format that isn't standard, and even some albums that you found online but aren't quite complete. After the albums, you have random tracks you purchased off of iTunes or downloaded both legally and illegally from the Internets. And if your taste in music is somewhat interesting, applying the proper tags to all of these tracks can really be a pain to deal with.

Call me OCD, but I like only putting full albums on my mp3 player. Why? Well, I feel like it's some sort of reward system. I get to listen to albums on the go if a) I purchased them as CDs and therefore legally own the music, or b) found some way of stealing an entire album instead of just some track I enjoy. Also, I figure it's a good way to get to know an artist instead of just a tune or two. (Which is why I have Rihanna's entire Good Girl Gone Bad album, so help me God)

What's weird is that I'm not worried about the music I've taken. It's all digital, all on my computer, and all prone to being wiped out at any point in time by some sort of computer failure. If that happens, I won't feel bad because I've got the stuff I bought -- and thus the stuff I deserve to listen to -- all backed up on CDs in the physical realm. There are also services like Pandora and Spotify that keep my musical thirst quenched when I don't have access to my music collection.

Just recently I deleted anything that wasn't a complete album off of my computer, save for a few tracks that I keep locked away in case someone needs them. (Jitterbug Stroll, anyone?) I now have the rest of my "complete" music synced with my Zune, and I suddenly feel more organized and with it when it comes to my music. The only music I left totally alone was the Wizard Rock; most of it is from random online websites that I got from my sister and I really don't question how much of it is complete because it's really only there in case of emergency. :)

The piracy issue is a difficult topic to talk about because we're talking about "owning" something that is no longer physical. Piracy is not stealing, but is it unfair? As a musician, my stance might surprise you. I'm totally for music piracy because I make my living as a musician by doing live performances. This has nothing to do with how much money record companies make or about studio-only musicians or whatever. It completely has to do with the fact that my worth as a musician is dependent solely on my ability to perform live and not on the albums I turn out.

However, there is still a fine line that needs to be thickened. What about artists like Imogen Heap, who are capable of performing live but the real beauty of their music lies in their recorded products? I love Imogen Heap to death and this definitely presents a conundrum... As I see it, the only logical way to deal with this is to find other ways to make money, which she does. Is it right that she perhaps loses out a bit more than other artists? Maybe. But I still think she's got some mad talent that allows her to overcome this. We all need to see how the music industry is changing and adapt. Being a musician is actually reverting back to what it used to be, before recording technology became prevalent.

I think it's an exciting change. More live music? Sounds like quality control for musicians and a great opportunity to experience the real deal more often.

I felt like doing a few of these survey things since I haven't done a really extensive one since 2005, believe it or not. Looking back on the answers for that one -- part of the removed portion of this blog, of course -- I was a really stupid teenager who was clearly ignorant of a few things. But you know what? I'm sure I'll feel the same way about these in a few years. :)

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1.This survey gets a little personal; can you handle it?

I think so. If it gets too personal, I don't have to answer, now do I!


2. If you married the last person you texted, what would your last name be?

Bergren, since I texted an individual of the female nature. :)


3. Were you happy when you woke up today?

Mostly. A bit groggy, but content.


4. When were you on the phone last? And with who?

7ish with my mom. I had to call to say I arrived at MYA safely.


5. Have you talked to a complete jerk today?

Nope.


6. Listening to music?

Totally.


7.What are you excited for?

I want school to start again. I need academic direction and freedom again.


8. What were you doing yesterday?

Playing double bass and driving my sister around town. Good times.


9. Honestly, who was the last person to tell you they love you?

Sasha said she loved me last! :D But if we're talking about relationship love here, then I'd rather not talk about that person... :/


10. What's the last thing you put in your mouth?

My toothbrush.


11.Do you have a best friend?

I have several best friends!


12. Are you scared to fall in love?

Not really. Although I am scared to be blinded by it.


13. Do you think teenagers can be in love?

It's possible, although people are still developing into individuals at that age and it probably won't last.


14. Last person you wanted to punch in the face?

This guy I play bass with at school. He's not very much fun. 0_o


15.What time is it right this second?

1:49 AM


16. What do you want right now?

Go to sleep after I finish this.


17. Who was the last person you took a picture with?

Jimmy and Mrs. H. We were at Argonne doin' a tour. :)


18. Are you single/taken/heartbroken/or confused?

Taken. :)


19. When was the last time you cried?

Probably a month ago. Although it wasn't tears of sadness, more like tears of redemption.


20. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

Mostly. They can get on my case sometimes but I almost always return the favor. :P


21. Do you find it hard to trust others?

I didn't always, but I have been for the past year or so. I trust easily with basic things, but when it comes to important dealies, it takes a bit before I know someone well enough.


22. How fast does your mind change?

At a good pace. It isn't sluggish but definitely not as quickly as when I'm uber stressed out. Things are at an even keel. :)


23. I bet you miss somebody right now.

Yeppers, quite a bit.


24. Can you honestly say you're okay right now?

Yes, I actually can.


25. Why do you think so many people cheat?

They think they can get away with whatever they're cheating on. They worry more about the results than about the quality they're losing by cheating.


26. Tell me what's on your mind?

Tons of stuff! If you were to ask me that once every ten minutes, I guarantee that I would have a different answer every time!


27. What are you looking forward to in the next three months?

I want summer to be over and school to begin. I need direction.


28. Have you ever worn the opposite sex's clothing?

Hoodies and flip flops, but nothing distinctly feminine. I tend to stick to my own clothing.


29. When did you last talk to your number 1 top friend?

That's a bit redundant, don't you think? Anyhoo, it's been at least a couple days. We've communicated recently, but a face-to-face conversation hasn't happened in a while.


30. When is your next road trip?

Five weeks, when I'm traveling to Indiana to see Tim play with DCI!


31. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell anything to?

Why yes, I most definitely do.


32. How's your heart?

Groovy. It likes to beat strange patterns sometimes but it's still working.


33. Have you ever felt like you weren't important?

Sure. It sucks to feel that way but lately I've been working on figuring out how to combat that feeling and bring myself out of the dumps quicker.


34. Do you think somebody's in love with you?

I'm not sure. :/ I think it's one of those things that you can only really tell exists because it stands the test of time. "Love at first sight" and similar phenomena seems a bit far-fetched to me based on my previous experiences...


35. What are you planning on doing after this?

Sleeping. I need to practice tomorrow!


36. Next time you will kiss someone?

Probably not for another two weeks... :(


37. Have you told anybody you loved them today?

Nope.


38. Who do you not get along with?

Sometimes my family, but they're a cool bunch of people. I usually get along with most folks but there are people I just can't stand but I interact with just to be polite. Basically, I'm not close enough with those people to let them know how I really feel. :)


39. What does your third text on your phone say?

I'm not posting a copy, but it was saying how the recipient just got How I Met Your Mother on DVD. Righteous!


40. What are you wearing right now?

My high school gym shorts and a green Illinois shirt.


41. You're locked in a room with the person you last kissed, how is it?

Pretty groovy, actually. :)


42. When's the last time you had a grilled cheese?

Too long. I should make some tomorrow!


43. What's your fave boy and girl name right now?

Mich and Imogen. Bonus points to anyone who can figure out which musicians I'm referring to. :)


44. How did you feel when you woke up?

Groggy. Didn't we go over this?


45. Do you wish someone would call or text you right now?

Sure, but that's because I like hearing from people.


46. Do you crack your knuckles?

Yeah, when I do my daily hand stretches.


47. What were you doing yesterday at midnight?

Passing out from exhaustion. Rehearsal was brutal and I was listening to music/thinking myself into a coma.


48. What are your LEGAL initials?

D.B.


49. Whos the first B in your contacts?

Texas Ben!


50. When was the last time you laughed really hard?

Probably at school. I'm not sure for what, although I'm sure Sam was involved.


51. If your number 1 top friend walks out of your life, do you go after them?

Yeah because I'm sure something is going on with their life!


52. Last awkward moment?

In South Pacific when the lead male tells the lead female "There's something I have to tell you. I... killed a man."


53. Are you afraid of the dark?

Not so much, although I could work myself into a scare if I was feeling adventurous.


54. Do you have good vision?

20/20! Although I want glasses, no joke.


55. Have you ever tripped someone?

Yeah, but not in a while.


56. Have you ever slapped someone?

No.


57. Are you Irish?

Chirish!


58. Do you use chap stick?

Yeah, but only when it's really, really dry.


59. Do you have any scars?

All over the place. I like them; they each have a story.


60. Is there someone you will never forgive?

Probably. I would love to forgive this person but she's making it really difficult...


61. Are you dating the person you last held hands with?

Yes. :)


62. Name the last person to text you?

Nikki!


63. Would you marry someone 8 years older than you?

I'm not against it but it probably wouldn't work out simply because we'd have grown up in different times. It would be really weird.


64. Can you go out in public looking like you do?

Yeah, and I wouldn't mind too much.


65. Have you ever kissed someone whose name started with a J?

Nope.


66. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

The top!


67. Whats the first thing you'll do on your wedding day?

Wake up. After that, I'll probably have this huge grin on my face and think about how another chapter of my life is about to officially begin.


68. Do you fall for people easily?

I used to. Nowadays I've noticed that it takes me a bit longer, but I'm kinda glad that I've changed.


69. Has anyone put their arms around you in the past 5 days?

Yes. :) Hugs are awesome!


70. Do you miss the way things used to be?

Not one bit. I do go back from time to time but I always realize that I live in the present, not the past.


71. Has anyone ever told you they're in love with you?

Yes.


72. Song You're thinking of right now?

Some random song by Tegan and Sara. Weird, I know.


73. Want someone back in your life?

Sure, but not in a relationship way, just a friendship way.


74. Will tomorrow be better than today?

I'm not sure but I'm willing to try to make it!


75. What’s the color of you’re shirt you are wearing?

Green. And we went over this. -_-


76. Has anyone ever sang or played music for you personally?

Yeah, freshman year of college. A bunch of folks at Allen sang me a song using my name. It was pretty cool.


77. Does it bother you when someone lies to you?

Yes, but only when I find out about it and it wasn't justified. I also don't like it when people make the same mistake twice with lying. That's just stupid.


78. Is there anyone who understands your relationship status?

Most people do. It really is pretty straightforward.


79. Are you a naturally happy person? Or is your happiness forced?

I'm naturally laid back. My happiness is never forced, but happiness comes pretty easily on most days.


80. Is there anyone you wish would fall in love with you?

I never wish for anyone to fall in love with me. I think that's selfish. If they fall in love, that's grand, but if they don't, then life still goes on. I think loving someone else is more about the other person than about yourself.

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SURVEY TWO

Who are 3 girls you trust most?

Sasha, Nikki, Steph


What mood are you in?

Sleepy. I had a long day.


Can you fill this out without lying?

Yes, of course!


What's the last thing you put in your mouth?

My toothbrush. (No changes there...)


Anything make you happy today?

Arriving at MYA and seeing six other bassists. It was awesome.


What are you doing now?

Filling out this survey!


Do you believe ex's can be friends?

Totally, although it really depends on the person. I've experience both cases.


When is your birthday?

May 14th


What are you listening to?

Nothing, although I have "So Far Away" by Nine Days stuck in my head.


Is anything bothering you right now?

In the general sense, I'm debating familial relationships, acting under stress, and Kohlberg's stages of moral development.


Are you happier single or in a relationship?

Right now I'm happy in a relationship. Although in the past, it's gone either way.


What plans do you have for tomorrow?

Play bass, shovel woodchips, work on math, and eat dinner at Cracker Barrel.


Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your own bed?

The basement of my house, when the A/C wasn't working.


What is more important, happiness or trust?

Trust. Happiness is great but you can't build anything on it.


What's the very first thing you do when you wake up?

After I get out of bed? Usually it's take a shower, but I might wander around for a bit.


Do you even KNOW how to do the laundry?

Yes, of course. I'm a college student!


Most memorable thing that's happened to you this summer?

Taking care of Nikki's ferret. That was pretty ridiculous, and I really enjoyed the festivities that day.


Do you think the last person who told you they loved you was being truthful?

She thought so at the time, but she was wrong, oh so wrong. X_x And this is why I have a hard time just accepting the popular conception of what love is.


When's the last time you had a headache?

A few days ago, after playing a crazy soccer game.


Do you like reading?

Yeah, but I wish I liked reading more. There's so much good literature out there!


What are you hoping to get this Christmas?

Nothing, really. I don't really want anything in particular. The company of friends and family is just fine!


Do you ever think about stuff and start crying?

I have. It's kinda surreal.


Are you happy with the way things are going?

For the most part.


Do you hate when people smoke around you?

Yeah, but it's not too bad. I only really get irritated when I don't know the person.


Who's bed did you sleep in last night?

Mine...


Dark hair or light hair in the opposite sex?

Doesn't matter.


Have you ever gotten a sunburn so bad it hurt to move?

No.


Who is your favorite person to talk to when you're down?

Sasha or Jeff. Depends on what mood I'm in or sometimes I'll talk to both. :)


What woke you up this morning?

Me, although Steph helped a bit.


Have you ever been awake for more than 2 nights straight?

No, but I'm willing to give it a try.


Who was the first person to call you today?

Karim. He was calling about bass stuff.


Could you date someone who has a lot of issues?

Yes, but only if she owns up to them. I'm not here to take other people's issues and make them solely my own. Besides, who doesn't have issues? :)


How many people have you kissed that name starts with the letter "D"?

None.


Have any memories that you'd like to forget?

No, I like keeping all my memories because it tells me that I'm not losing it. However, I do block out certain details of the more unpleasant ones.


Is your handwriting large, small, or pretty normal?

Pretty normal.


Are you there for your friends?

I hope so. But I can always improve upon that.


Do you tend to give in or stand strong?

Stand strong. I'm pretty stubborn when it comes down to it, but I'm all for giving in if I care more about a resolution.


Ever kiss a red head?

No.


Do you think the last person you kissed cares for you?

I believe so. :)


Ever liked anyone older than you?

Why yes, yes I have. :D


Is there one thing/anyone that is on your mind constantly?

I think about Nikki a lot. :) Mostly the course of events of a given day influence what I think about.


Are you happy with where you are relationship-wise now?

Yes.

Do you believe that it is best to have a good friendship first then love?

Friendship should definitely be the foundation. Trust me, it sucks when you're going through a confusing time in your relationship and you don't have a friend on the other end to help you out. It's stupid but people do it and I still don't understand how they can do that to other people they supposedly care about.


Have you ever kissed any one 23 or over?

No, but I'll get back to you in a couple years.


Do you think you can love someone without trusting them?

This whole "love" thing aside, I think you need to trust someone before you can really get close to them. If you don't, things get really ugly. Especially if one person trusts and the other person doesn't...

Image courtesy of mallix

If you can guess what the title of this post is a reference to, I'll give you 1,000 points! :D:D:D Yes, it is that obscure of a reference.

Anyhoo, I've done a ton of major blog updating recently. For instance, you can no longer subscribe to this blog via email. I think there was maybe one subscriber from the stats I've gathered over the years and I seriously don't think he or she will miss that service too much, if he or she even still cares. 0_o

Also, you can now subscribe to this blog via Twitter! Just follow @WaPuBlog to get started. I figured that sending word of my posts through @basstheorychaos would clutter up my micro-blogging and deter from communicating "more relevant" ideas than what I write about extensively on this blog. So if you want to follow this blog, you can now do so! And looking at the Twitter interface, it really does lend itself terrifically to blog subscriptions. Also as a side note, I'm using TwitterFeed to automate Twitter updates for this blog. Enjoy!

As far as future changes for this blog go, I'm working on consolidating all of my services into something manageable. My guess is that Digg will rise to the forefront as contenders like Ma.gnolia and Newsvine are either out of commission or just not my style at the moment. My aims are for simplicity and ease of use, and Digg has that right now in so many ways. I also heard Del.icio.us had a major overhaul within the past year so I'll have to check that out again when I've got the time.

Image courtesy of Laughing Squid

I just realized something drastically off-the-mark. Facebook usernames are perhaps the farthest thing from being a feature akin to the reason most of us joined Facebook. In essence, we just wanted to network with people we met in the real world. And Facebook destroyed that.

Today I finally figured out what I wanted my username to be. Which is to say, I was stupidly debating what it was going to be for weeks on end because I couldn't change it once I put it in place. Yet today, I just said, "To heck with it!" and made my username "daniel.bergren". And so was brought forth the stupidest idea ever. Is anyone ever going to type in http://www.facebook.com/daniel.bergren in order to link to me? HELL NO! They're going to start typing "Dan Bergren" into the Search bar and before they even get to the "g" they're going to have my profile at their click and disposal.

Granted, Facebook had a good idea with usernames. They thought it would make it easier to put Facebook profile URLs on business cards and the like, which is nice. However, this is really kinda bogus because it just hints at yet another way in which Facebook is turning into MySpace, the beloved bastard child of social networking. For the longest time I had four friend requests from people I've never met! I finally got sick of them yesterday so I denied every single one, but seriously, why do you want to meet someone you know nothing about!

In other news, this whole username debacle got me thinking about my desire to create a new screenname and how misplaced it is. "basstheorychaos" is the bread and butter of what represents me as a person and I don't need to go through the hassle of creating new accounts just so I can have a new identity. No, what I really desired was a fresh start, a chance at a clean slate. Heck, I always want a chance at a clean slate, but instead I'm going to have to work with what I've got.

We all make mistakes. All the time, actually. But what separates the Go-Getters from the Fallen is not some Rubix-cube energy device or some spunky kid who tags along Megan Fox. Bad movie references aside, the fact of the matter is that I need to move on. Screw the past and its repeatable mistakes. The only clean slate I need is a different attitude.

We move too fast.

...

I was driving my sister to her trumpet lesson today when it hit me that we live in a fast-paced society that trades in quality for quantity. I've noticed in myself alone how much I've changed. My driving has become faster, I don't listen to bluegrass music all the time like I used to and the majority of my time has been spent doing lots of activities and spending my "free time" on the computer.

I'm listening to Imogen Heap's "Mic Check" as I write this. It's really a surprise realizing how much faster I've treated life like instead of moving at the slower pace which was me right out of high school. It was low stress and a time when I wasn't married to a computer... :D College added the stress back and I didn't deal with that well. But now things have changed again, for I have realized this at a more basic level than before.

I don't want to go back to a time when I was completely lost in my own world. But I do want to be that same level of stress-free. And if I can manage that over the next couple of days, I think that a lot of people are going to benefit other than myself.